


Turnabout Intruder

by VTsuion



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Bodyswap, Canon Genderbending, Episode Fix-it, Episode: s03e24 Turnabout Intruder, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-09-15
Packaged: 2019-11-15 09:46:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18071045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VTsuion/pseuds/VTsuion
Summary: Captain Kirk has switched bodies with the desperate Dr. Janice Lester, through no will of his own. She has taken over the Enterprise and sentenced all who oppose her to death, along with the real captain. The crew is becoming suspicious, but will she be stopped before it's too late?How I think the final episode of Star Trek: TOS should have ended.





	Turnabout Intruder

Spock paced the small cell.

The four of them had been haphazardly shoved into a chamber built to hold one, but it gave them the advantage of communication, so they had little cause for complaint. It seemed the impostor – the mind of Dr. Janice Lester inhabiting Captain Kirk’s body – had not thought it over particularly well, her reason likely clouded by emotion. Still, she had thought well enough to record Dr. McCoy and Lieutenant Scott’s conversation during the trial. But calling for an execution had been a mistake…

“Spock! Stop your blasted pacing and help us plan!” Dr. McCoy exclaimed, forcing him from his thoughts.

“Bones…” Dr. Lester - actually the captain - cautioned, his feminine voice still strange to Spock’s ears, though he was more sure of the captain’s identity every moment he was in the captain’s presence.

Spock snapped to attention as Captain Kirk turned towards him and continued, “Spock, what’s your opinion on the situation? You and Scotty saw more than I did.”

Spock gave a sharp nod. “The crew is uneasy with your impostor, Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov in particular. Their loyalty to you may have held them back so far, but when the impostor called for our execution, I suspect many realized something was amiss. Still, it is illogical to rely on a mere suspicion.”

“Of course they realized something was amiss!” Lieutenant Scott exclaimed. “The ‘captain’ isn’t acting anything like Captain Kirk, here!”

“Recommended course of action?” the captain demanded.

“In case I am wrong, you must escape before the execution is held. Starfleet command must be informed of what has happened, namely the orders for our execution and the conclusion we have come to as to your misplaced identity - the latter will be especially important in the event you return to your proper body-”

“What do you mean ‘in the event’?” Dr. McCoy interrupted. “Jim, didn’t you manage to get back onto the bridge for a moment there?”

“That was short lived. We do not know if the exchange can be completely reversed and we do not have time to wait for it to occur,” Spock retorted. “I suggest you escape with the captain and contact Starfleet, while Lieutenant Scott and I allow the impostor to take us to be executed and incite general mutiny there.”

“Listen here!” Dr. McCoy demanded as Lieutenant Scott opened his mouth to retort.

The captain raised a hand for silence. “We need to get out of here before then” - he gave Spock a meaningful look - “All of us.”

“Captain-” Spock insisted.

“I will hear no more about it, understood?” the captain ordered.

“Yes, sir.” Spock moved to attention, hands behind his back.

Captain Kirk smiled warmly - the expression still strange on Dr. Lester’s face. “Now-”

The sound of approaching footsteps cut him short.

“Get back, now!” the captain whispered, and they quickly hid themselves against the wall by the door.

Spock pushed the captain behind him as he took the spot nearest the door on one side. Lieutenant Scott stood opposite them, with Dr. McCoy behind him.

“I know you traitors are in there!” the impostor exclaimed, “Get them!”

A security officer ran in, phaser out. Scotty disarmed him, Spock pinched his neck, and he fell to the ground. Another shortly followed, firing as he entered. Spock struck at him and the officer fell as Spock was stunned from behind.

* * *

Spock could hear men and women shouting, their voices pierced through a phaser-induced sleep. He was kneeling on the floor, his hands restrained behind his back. Spock forced his eyes open and he found himself in the shuttle bay. Beside him was the body of Dr. Lester – presumably still inhabited by the captain’s mind. Dr. McCoy was on the captain’s other side, and Lieutenant Scott was on the far end. They were surrounded by security officers in red uniforms, who separated the prisoners from a crowd of command officers, all shouting about the execution about to take place.

Spock was about to call to the captain when Lieutenant Scott exclaimed, “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Scotty…” the captain cautioned somewhat groggily under the loud click-clack of approaching footsteps.

“Captain, are you okay?” Spock asked as quietly as he could within the range of human hearing, as the impostor came to a stop in front of them.

“I’m well enough,” the real Captain Kirk replied with a wry smile.

The captain was about to continue when the impostor spoke, “You four have been charged and convicted of mutiny against your commanding officer, and have been sentenced to death by injection. I would have expected better from Starfleet officers, such as yourselves, but I suppose we all face disappointment at times… Dr. Arthur Coleman will now administer the injection, starting with Dr. Lester.”

With that, the impostor waved over Dr. Coleman. He slowly approached the captain, a syringe in his hand.

“No!” Dr. McCoy shouted.

“You can’t!” Lieutenant Scott exclaimed.

Spock remained silent, just one step closer, one step closer and then he would be in range. Finally he leaped from where he knelt and slammed himself into Dr. Coleman, knocking him off his feet and out of the way. The syringe fell from his hand and slid across the floor.

“Stop him!” the impostor screamed, “Shoot! Kill him now! Guards, I order you!”

“I order you not to shoot!” Spock interrupted “Do you forget that the death penalty has been outlawed in all cases but one?”

The security officers hesitated as Dr. Coleman struggled under Spock’s weight.

“He’s a traitor! Dare you betray my orders?” the impostor demanded.

“He’s not the captain!” Lieutenant Sulu shouted from the edge of the crowd. Both he and Ensign Chekov had their hands restrained behind their backs and were followed by security officers.

“Or if he is the captain, he’s not himself!” Ensign Chekov amended.

“Shoot them all!” the impostor ordered.

“He’s not the captain,” Captain Kirk announced, forcing himself to his feet, “I am. I know it’s hard to believe; technology that enables two people to switch minds, but we’ve encountered stranger things - this isn’t so outlandish. Think! Does he act like me? Is this something I would do? Would I condemn my First Officer, my Chief Medical Officer, and my Chief Engineer to death, against Starfleet regulation? Even if you think he really is Captain Kirk, Chekov is right, the man before you is not fit for duty as captain, therefore, Mr. Spock is in command!”

“This woman is insane and dangerous! She is conspiring with Commander Spock to take over my command! Kill them!” the impostor screamed.

No one moved.

“Spock…” the captain hinted quietly.

“I order you to-” Spock began as he was pushed to the ground by Dr. Coleman.

Dr. Coleman scrambled to grab the syringe. A phaser sounded from the edges of the room and the Doctor fell to the ground, stunned.

“No!” the impostor screeched, scanning the crowd, “Who dares challenge my authority?”

“I do!” Lieutenant Uhura exclaimed. “You’re not the real Captain! Starfleet has been notified-”

“Get her!” the impostor shouted, “She will be executed with the rest!”

The security officers didn’t move.

“Arrest the impostor!” Kirk ordered.

For a moment the security officers glanced around in confusion, before the chief of security piped up, “She’s the captain, do as she says.”

* * *

 Captain Kirk, still in the body of Dr. Janice Lester, sat in the captain’s chair on the bridge, Mr. Spock beside him.

“You’re sure you won’t be able to switch me back?” Kirk asked, mildly disappointed given the circumstances.

“I don’t believe so,” Spock replied, “But that is not necessarily bad.”

“What makes you say that?” the captain asked skeptically.

“It did convince them to repeal the law preventing women from becoming starship captains,” Spock remarked.

“They were bound to repeal it soon enough, anyways,” Kirk said. “The law was outdated. And now I’m still stuck as a woman.”

Spock quirked an eyebrow at the captain, “I am certain you will grow accustomed to it.”

“It doesn’t seem to bother you much,” Kirk retorted.

“You are the same person, no matter what form you take,” Spock replied seriously.

Kirk grinned. “I suppose so.” The captain turned so he was facing forward, toward the navigation station and the stars racing past on the viewscreen, and ordered, “Warp 4 ahead, we need to get to the Omega colonies, quickly.”

“Yes sir,” Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov replied and the Enterprise sped off into the endless expanse of space, its mission to “go where no man has gone before” always close at hand.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was edited in March 2019 for cross-posting.


End file.
